AFPRutte during EPG summit in Granada
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 14:58
Aida Brands
editor Brussels
Aida Brands
editor Brussels
If the Netherlands has its way, Ukraine will not join the European Union in 2030. “I strongly disagree with that date,” Prime Minister Rutte said at the start of the European Political Community (EPG) summit. “It’s not the question when countries are ready, the question is or lothers are ready.”
Discussions have started in the European Union about further enlargement. Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and six countries in the Western Balkans would like to join. Earlier, European Council President Charles Michel said he wants Ukraine to join the EU in 2030. The EU wants to prevent Russia, and also China, from expanding their influence in Europe, and EU membership is seen as a way to prevent that.
According to several EU government leaders, the accession of these countries is a very difficult process. The rule of law must be in order. “That means they must meet thousands of conditions to join,” Rutte said. According to him, absolutely no concessions should be made on these ‘thousands’ of accession requirements.
More complicated
Regardless of the question of whether candidate countries meet the requirements, many believe the EU is not yet ready to admit new countries. “The EU already has 27 member states and if more countries are added, decision-making and all kinds of other matters will become even more complicated,” said Rutte.
Tomorrow, EU government leaders will meet to discuss possible reforms that should make decision-making within the EU easier. Rutte wants extensive time to discuss this. Because the accession of the new countries can have major consequences for, among other things, what the current member states have to pay for the EU. “Can we continue on this scale of helping countries with their lagging economies? I don’t think so,” the Prime Minister said.
At the same time, Rutte emphasized that the Netherlands and the EU will benefit if the economy in candidate countries improves. “The fact that countries like Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are in so much better shape means that we can export a lot to these countries.
2023-10-05 12:58:52
#Rutte #Rapid #expansion #unwise
